Elaboration of a strategy to integrate training on adaptation to climate change within the educational system of cameroon
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- 2.2. Geographic and agro-ecological description
2.0. STUDY AREA2.1. LocationThe study area is located at the North-Eastern end of the Gulf of Guinea, between longitudes 8° and 16° E and latitudes 1° and 13° N. To the south it is bounded by Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the west it is bounded by the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to the east by Central African Republic. While in the north it is enclosed by the Republic of Chad and a portion of Lake Chad (figure 1). The territory is roughly triangular in shape with a surface area of about 475 412 km2. 2.2. Geographic and agro-ecological descriptionThese are classified under five regional units which are differentiated by their geography, climate and vegetation characteristics (figure 1):
Zone 1: The Soudano-Sahelian zone Geographically, this zone covers latitude 10° and 13°N, and longitudes 8° and 15°E , with a surface area of 34,260 km 2 (IRAD, 2007). Administratively, it covers the far northern and northern regions, and covers the following divisions six divisions; Diamaré, Mayo-Kani, Mayo-Tsanaga, Mayo- Danaï, Mayo-Sava and Logone, and Chari. The zone has two main seasons: a short rainy season of about 5 months with rainfall amount that ranges from 700 – 900 mm/yr; and a long dry season of about 7 months with temperatures that reach a maximum of 44oC in March when evaporation is highest. The annual average temperature is 28°C. The climate also presents a transition zone between the desert in the north and a wetter climate in the south. During the dry season, most of the landscape is bare, but in the rainy season plant species such as Cussonia arborea, Barleria eranthemoides, Ficus trichopoda, Dombeya sp., Albizia adianthifolia and Albizia zygia, Woodfordia will uniflora, Pachystela brevipes, Oncoba auriculata, Monotes kerstingii, Syzygium guineense, Antiaris Africana, Isoberlinia doka are common. It is drained dendritically by the tributaries of the Mayo Tsanaga river that flows into the River Logone, which in turn flows northwards into Lake Chad. The natural flow of the Mayo Tsanaga, and the Logone rivers are obstructed by the construction of the Mokolo and Maga dams. Surface flow is conspicuously absent in the Mayo Tsanaga in the dry season. The drainage is controlled by the topography that rises from the Yaere plains (with an altitude of about 320 m asl), to the Mandara mountains with peaks as high as 1400 m asl. Southwards, the zone is dendritically drained by the River Benue that flows into the Niger Basin. Summarily, in Cameroon, this zone occurs within the river basins of Niger and Chad. The total population is about 4,000,000 inhabitants (IRAD, 2007). The inhabitants are involved in activities such as subsistence agriculture, industrial rice farming, fishing, and animal husbandary. ZONE 2: THE HIGH GUINEA SAVANNA The High Guinea Savanna agro-ecological zone falls within the Adamawa Region of Cameroon, with five administrative divisions which are the Djérem, Faro-et-Déo, Mayo-Banyo, Mbéré, and Vina (Yebit, 2004). The zone has the Guinea-sudan type of climate, which is characterized by two seasons: a rainy season from April – October, and a dry season from November - March (Yonkeu, 1993). The annual rainfall distribution is statistically monomodal with a mode in August-September, and the annual amount varies from 1200-1500 mm, with a coefficient of variation of 9.8 % (IFM, 2000). Atmospheric temperature in this zone drops to a minimum of about 6°C, and then rises to a maximum of about 33°C in March (Mope, 1997). The annual average humidity varies from 64.1 % to 67.6 %. The zone consists of sparsely wooded savanna, and heavily wooded areas bordering the many rivers and streams (Yebit, 2004). Notable tree species include Eucalyptus cameldulensis and Ficus spp as well as fruit trees such as mango (Mangifera indica), papaya (Carica papaya), avocado (Persea americana), banana (Banana spp), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), and (Citrus sinensis). Common agroforestry species include Caesalpinia decapitala, Senna siamea, and Entada abyssinica (Mapongmetsem, 2005).
The zone has two seasons which are the rainy season from mid March to mid October, and the dry season that spans from mid October to mid March. The annual distribution of rainfall is monomodal. The annual rainfall varies from 1300 mm in the Ndop plain and the Noun valley, to over 3000 mm at Mbande on Mount Oku. Atmospheric temperatures varie from <15°C to 27°C, and is controlled by the topography that drops from 3000 m asl to 400 m asl. The dominant vegetation cover consists of savannah with wood along river banks, and grassland vegetations on the mountains. The dendritic permanent rivers such as the Mentchum, Katsina, Mifi, and Noun that flow in this zone are tributaries of the Niger and the Sanaga basins. The general activities in the zone comprise agriculture, livestock, aquaculture and unconventional activities like bee farming. All of these are practised on just a small portion of the entire arable land available in the area. ZONE 4: THE HUMID FOREST ZONE WITH MONOMODAL RAINFALL This zone covers the Littoral and South West Regions, and the coastal areas of the South Region. The zone experiences the Equatorial climate of the Cameroonian type. It is very hot and humid and is characterized by two seasons, which are the short dry season (of about four months), and one wet season (of about eight months) when the rainfall are heavy. The maritime Cameroon type climate is experienced along the sea-facing slopes of Mount Cameroon that receive the monsoon winds at right angle resulting in an annual rainfall of about 10.000 mm in Debuncha, which is the second wettest locality in the World. The atmospheric temperature varies from 20°C to 28°C. This rivers here flow into the coastal basin of Cameroon. It is covered by the mangrove and rain forests vegetation types, and has an average altitude of 90 m asl, though it is interrupted to the east by the Cameroon Mountain with a summit at 4095 m asl. The total population in the zone is estimated at about 4 million. More than half of the population resides in urban areas, with the city of Douala having the largest urban population.
This zone covers the Centre, East and South regions of Cameroon. The zone has a wet Equatorial climate, with an average atmospheric temperature of 24 oC. The climate of this zone comprises four seasons, a long dry season from December to May, a short wet season from May to June, a short dry season from July to October, and a long and heavy wet season from October to November. The amount of rainfall ranges between 2000 and 4000 mm/year, and mean atmospheric temperature is 23oC. About 76% of this zone is covered by forests that are semi-deciduous in nature, and derived savanna of Guinea-Equatorial type. (Ambassa et al. 1995). The dendritic river systems of Dja, Sangha, and Nyong belong to the Congo, and coastal basins, respectively. The population of the zone is about 5.6 million inhabitants and the inhabitants are engaged mainly in fishing, agriculture, and domestication of livestock. 
Figure 1: Agro-ecological zones and Regional capitals of Cameroon (Modified after IRAD, 2006) Directory: sites sites -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 sites -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 sites -> Glossary for Chapter 1 Algorithm sites -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose sites -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations sites -> Physical custody of 1033 program property accountibility form statement of Physical Custody: By signing for the below 1033 property I am a Law Enforcement Officer of the aforementioned Law Enforcement Agency sites -> Nstructions for Acquiring Excess Equipment online, through the 1033 Program sites -> Memorandum of agreement Download 1.08 Mb. Share with your friends:
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